The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

In “The Ballad of the Sad Café,” Miss Amelia prepares for her fight with Marvin Macy by using a punching bag she hangs from a tree in her yard: “At the end of the rope she tied a crocus sack tightly stuffed with sand. This was the punching bag she made for herself and from that day on she would box with it out in her yard every morning” (60). The bag represents her Rejection of Gender Conformity. Throughout the story, Miss Amelia refuses to adhere to gender expectations, and instead leads her life to her liking: She distills alcohol, runs a business, and felt free to ignore and then leave her husband after 10 days of marriage. Despite her willingness to act outside of gender expectations, her confidence and determination force the town to accept her as she is. The punching bag represents her pride in her physical strength and her eagerness to fight Marvin Macy. Miss Amelia approaches her conflict with Marvin Macy as though they are both men fighting over a female romantic partner; she invites the violence of the fight as the only means to chase Marvin away.